US seniors find it's never too late to learn social media

USA-FACEBOOK-SENIORS:US seniors find it's never too late to learn social media

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US seniors find its never too late to learn social media

USA-FACEBOOK-SENIORS:US seniors find it's never too late to learn social media

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By Patricia Reaney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Seniors, some in their 90s, could soon be making new friends on Facebook thanks to New York libraries offering classes to help the elderly learn, or brush up their social network skills.

Carol White, 69, was already on Facebook when she enrolled in the "Facebook for Seniors" class at the Spuyten Duyvil Library in the Bronx. But she didn't understand how it worked.

Rosalind Licht, 76, was completely new to the social networking site and hoped the class would provide another way to stay in touch with family and friends.

"I understand that young people, the grandchildren, don't use e-mail very much now. They only use Facebook, specifically, so I feel it is another way of communication with them," she said.

Seniors are a growing demographic, with more than half of U.S. adults 65 and older online, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

For many elderly citizens, particularly those who live alone and far from their families, social networking sites offer new opportunities to stay in touch, share photos, make new friends or reconnect with old ones.

FRIEND REQUESTS, SECURITY CONCERNS

The Spuyten Duyvil Library is just one of many of the 87 libraries in New York helping seniors get connected. During his 90-minute course, Josh Soule, the senior librarian at the Spuyten Duyvil Library, explained what Facebook is, how to start an account and deal with notifications, newsfeeds, timelines and privacy issues.

The hands-on classes are popular and attract seniors of all ages. His oldest student was a 97-year-old woman.

"They are more tech savvy than they think they are," said Soule after teaching a class of five seniors - two men and three women. "They tend to be unsure of themselves, I find, and they need reinforcement and some tips about how to use it better."

After explaining the concept of "friending" and responding to requests on Facebook, Soule suggested that one woman accept a friend request after she recognized the person.